Sarah Dervan: 'It should all be one GAA'

Galway's camogie star Sarah Dervan feels that a merger between the GAA, LGFA and the Camogie Association will lead to greater equality across all codes and eliminate a situation where some teams have to train in far from ideal conditions.

On Saturday next, the reigning All-Ireland champions will begin their league campaign against Dublin. In preparation for that, the team will train on astroturf. While Dervan is thankful that training can go ahead under floodlights, it still is far from satisfactory.

Speaking at the launch of new Irish protein cookie brand 'In the Zone', a joint partnership between the GAA and the GPA, she said: "Tonight we're training on astroturf because we can't get any pitch facilities with lights. So it is a real struggle for us. We've trained on astro an awful lot this year so far and we're thankful of getting it, but it's not ideal.

"We're playing Dublin on Saturday so it's not ideal preparation for the first round of the league. It's always been the way unfortunately. The fact that we're relying on the kindness of clubs to give us their facilities; it's not too bad in the summer but especially with it being very dark in the evenings, you have to get your training in and have a pitch with lights.

"You just accept it and I think that's pretty brutal to say. You want to be training in the best facilities. You want to be in the same places as the men's hurling and football in Galway. Unfortunately, we're not at the minute and it's not ideal preparation going into the Dublin game but we accept it, and I suppose it's a frightening thing."

On the difficulties posed by the astroturf surface, the two-time All-Ireland-winning captain added: "You are curtailed a lot with what you can do on astroturf. You can do